There’s a lot to like about Microsoft’s Surface Earbuds. They’re comfortable, sound great and offer more playback controls than most wireless buds. But one problem reared its head during our review: They use an archaic pairing method, which only connects the right bud directly to your source device. The left bud, meanwhile, shares reception with its sibling, Microsoft confirmed to Engadget.

For most people, this won’t be much of an issue. But if you’re like me and enjoy walking around with a single earbud for passive podcast listening, it means you’ll have to rely on the right Surface Earbud. During my testing, I noticed that the left bud dropped reception often if I got too far away from the right unit. That’s when I got in touch with Microsoft reps, who confirmed the pairing method.